Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

Capitalism: A Love Story poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $14,363,397Details
International Box Office $4,758,134Details
Worldwide Box Office $19,121,531
Home Market Performance
Est. Domestic DVD Sales $4,737,347 Details
Est. Domestic Blu-ray Sales $391,801 Details
Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $5,129,148
Further financial details...

Synopsis

On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece “Roger & Me,” Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” comes home to the issue he’s been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans. But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene is far wider than Flint, Michigan.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$231,964 (1.6% of total gross)
Legs:3.23 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:75.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$20,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.0 times production budget)
Theater counts:4 opening theaters/995 max. theaters, 4.7 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $20,644,983

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 23rd, 2009 (Limited) by Overture Films
October 2nd, 2009 (Expands Wide) by Overture Films
Video Release: March 9th, 2010 by Starz / Anchor Bay
MPAA Rating: R For some language
(Rating bulletin 2087 (Cert #45626), 9/16/2009)
Running Time: 127 minutes
Comparisons: vs. A Place at the Table
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Political Documentary, Agitprop, Directing Yourself, Political, Voiceover/Narration
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English, Russian, Spanish

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest 3rd Weekend Limited Release 51 $2,630,292 Oct 9, 2009 19
Biggest 2nd Weekend Limited Release 10 $4,447,378 Oct 2, 2009 12
Top 2009 Theater Average 9 $57,991 Sep 25, 2009 5

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 25, 2009 32 $231,964   4 $57,991   $298,550 1
Oct 2, 2009 8 $4,447,378 +1,817% 962 $4,623   $4,849,067 2
Oct 9, 2009 9 $2,630,292 -41% 995 $2,644   $9,025,483 3
Oct 16, 2009 12 $1,455,510 -45% 993 $1,466   $11,622,433 4
Oct 23, 2009 16 $726,453 -50% 636 $1,142   $12,960,355 5
Oct 30, 2009 19 $373,992 -49% 492 $760   $13,664,911 6
Nov 6, 2009 26 $162,478 -57% 217 $749   $14,024,598 7
Nov 13, 2009 34 $79,205 -51% 129 $614   $14,194,694 8
Nov 20, 2009 47 $33,675 -57% 52 $648   $14,266,331 9
Nov 27, 2009 57 $24,881 -26% 38 $655   $14,312,858 10
Dec 4, 2009 52 $21,757 -13% 108 $201   $14,342,792 11
Dec 11, 2009 67 $5,727 -74% 35 $164   $14,359,793 12

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Sep 23, 2009 - $37,832     4 $9,458   $37,832 1
Sep 24, 2009 - $28,754 -24%   4 $7,189   $66,586 2
Sep 25, 2009 - $61,535 +114%   4 $15,384   $128,121 3
Sep 26, 2009 - $94,609 +54%   4 $23,652   $222,730 4
Sep 27, 2009 - $75,820 -20%   4 $18,955   $298,550 5
Sep 28, 2009 - $30,399 -60%   4 $7,600   $328,949 6
Sep 29, 2009 - $21,351 -30%   4 $5,338   $350,300 7
Sep 30, 2009 - $21,734 +2% -43% 4 $5,434   $372,034 8
Oct 1, 2009 - $29,655 +36% +3% 4 $7,414   $401,689 9
Oct 2, 2009 7 $1,488,401 +4,919% +2,319% 962 $1,547   $1,890,090 10
Oct 3, 2009 8 $1,851,106 +24% +1,857% 962 $1,924   $3,741,196 11
Oct 4, 2009 6 $1,107,871 -40% +1,361% 962 $1,152   $4,849,067 12
Oct 5, 2009 6 $372,713 -66% +1,126% 962 $387   $5,221,780 13
Oct 6, 2009 6 $426,272 +14% +1,896% 962 $443   $5,648,052 14
Oct 7, 2009 6 $383,538 -10% +1,665% 962 $399   $6,031,590 15
Oct 8, 2009 6 $363,601 -5% +1,126% 962 $378   $6,395,191 16
Oct 9, 2009 9 $766,132 +111% -49% 995 $770   $7,161,323 17
Oct 10, 2009 9 $1,122,988 +47% -39% 995 $1,129   $8,284,311 18
Oct 11, 2009 9 $741,172 -34% -33% 995 $745   $9,025,483 19
Oct 12, 2009 8 $397,043 -46% +7% 995 $399   $9,422,526 20
Oct 13, 2009 8 $266,935 -33% -37% 995 $268   $9,689,461 21
Oct 14, 2009 8 $244,697 -8% -36% 995 $246   $9,934,158 22
Oct 15, 2009 8 $232,765 -5% -36% 995 $234   $10,166,923 23
Oct 16, 2009 12 $404,876 +74% -47% 993 $408   $10,571,799 24
Oct 17, 2009 12 $645,832 +60% -42% 993 $650   $11,217,631 25
Oct 18, 2009 11 $404,802 -37% -45% 993 $408   $11,622,433 26
Oct 19, 2009 10 $140,020 -65% -65% 993 $141   $11,762,453 27
Oct 20, 2009 8 $163,621 +17% -39% 993 $165   $11,926,074 28
Oct 21, 2009 9 $155,971 -5% -36% 993 $157   $12,082,045 29
Oct 22, 2009 11 $151,857 -3% -35% 993 $153   $12,233,902 30
Oct 23, 2009 - $213,796 +41% -47% 636 $336   $12,447,698 31
Oct 24, 2009 - $309,974 +45% -52% 636 $487   $12,757,672 32
Oct 25, 2009 - $202,683 -35% -50% 636 $319   $12,960,355 33
Oct 26, 2009 - $76,421 -62% -45% 636 $120   $13,036,776 34
Oct 27, 2009 - $88,897 +16% -46% 636 $140   $13,125,673 35
Oct 28, 2009 - $82,886 -7% -47% 636 $130   $13,208,559 36
Oct 29, 2009 - $82,360 -1% -46% 636 $129   $13,290,919 37
Oct 30, 2009 - $104,293 +27% -51% 492 $212   $13,395,212 38
Oct 31, 2009 - $149,140 +43% -52% 492 $303   $13,544,352 39
Nov 1, 2009 - $120,559 -19% -41% 492 $245   $13,664,911 40
Nov 2, 2009 - $43,038 -64% -44% 492 $87   $13,707,949 41
Nov 3, 2009 - $53,173 +24% -40% 492 $108   $13,761,122 42
Nov 4, 2009 - $46,546 -12% -44% 492 $95   $13,807,668 43
Nov 5, 2009 - $54,452 +17% -34% 492 $111   $13,862,120 44
Nov 6, 2009 - $42,552 -22% -59% 217 $196   $13,904,672 45
Nov 7, 2009 - $75,450 +77% -49% 217 $348   $13,980,122 46
Nov 8, 2009 - $44,476 -41% -63% 217 $205   $14,024,598 47
Nov 9, 2009 - $17,412 -61% -60% 217 $80   $14,042,010 48
Nov 10, 2009 - $21,426 +23% -60% 217 $99   $14,063,436 49
Nov 11, 2009 - $30,398 +42% -35% 217 $140   $14,093,834 50
Nov 12, 2009 - $21,655 -29% -60% 217 $100   $14,115,489 51
Nov 13, 2009 - $20,574 -5% -52% 129 $159   $14,136,063 52
Nov 14, 2009 - $37,506 +82% -50% 129 $291   $14,173,569 53
Nov 15, 2009 - $21,125 -44% -53% 129 $164   $14,194,694 54
Nov 16, 2009 - $8,239 -61% -53% 129 $64   $14,202,933 55
Nov 17, 2009 - $9,285 +13% -57% 129 $72   $14,212,218 56
Nov 18, 2009 - $9,624 +4% -68% 129 $75   $14,221,842 57
Nov 19, 2009 - $10,814 +12% -50% 129 $84   $14,232,656 58
Nov 20, 2009 - $9,139 -15% -56% 52 $176   $14,241,795 59
Nov 21, 2009 - $14,620 +60% -61% 52 $281   $14,256,415 60
Nov 22, 2009 - $9,916 -32% -53% 52 $191   $14,266,331 61
Nov 23, 2009 - $5,058 -49% -39% 52 $97   $14,271,389 62
Nov 24, 2009 - $6,689 +32% -28% 52 $129   $14,278,078 63
Nov 25, 2009 - $4,106 -39% -57% 38 $108   $14,282,184 64
Nov 26, 2009 - $5,793 +41% -46% 38 $152   $14,287,977 65
Nov 27, 2009 - $7,815 +35% -14% 38 $206   $14,295,792 66
Nov 28, 2009 - $10,383 +33% -29% 38 $273   $14,306,175 67
Nov 29, 2009 - $6,683 -36% -33% 38 $176   $14,312,858 68
Nov 30, 2009 - $2,416 -64% -52% 38 $64   $14,315,274 69
Dec 1, 2009 - $2,079 -14% -69% 38 $55   $14,317,353 70
Dec 2, 2009 - $1,763 -15% -57% 38 $46   $14,319,116 71
Dec 3, 2009 - $1,919 +9% -67% 38 $51   $14,321,035 72
Dec 4, 2009 - $5,895 +207% -25% 108 $55   $14,326,930 73
Dec 5, 2009 - $9,185 +56% -12% 108 $85   $14,336,115 74
Dec 6, 2009 - $6,677 -27% n/c 108 $62   $14,342,792 75
Dec 7, 2009 - $2,891 -57% +20% 108 $27   $14,345,683 76
Dec 8, 2009 - $2,757 -5% +33% 108 $26   $14,348,440 77
Dec 9, 2009 - $2,676 -3% +52% 108 $25   $14,351,116 78
Dec 10, 2009 - $2,950 +10% +54% 108 $27   $14,354,066 79
Dec 11, 2009 - $1,819 -38% -69% 35 $52   $14,355,885 80
Dec 12, 2009 - $2,344 +29% -74% 35 $67   $14,358,229 81
Dec 13, 2009 - $1,564 -33% -77% 35 $45   $14,359,793 82
Dec 14, 2009 - $810 -48% -72% 35 $23   $14,360,603 83
Dec 15, 2009 - $856 +6% -69% 35 $24   $14,361,459 84
Dec 16, 2009 - $934 +9% -65% 35 $27   $14,362,393 85
Dec 17, 2009 - $1,004 +7% -66% 35 $29   $14,363,397 86

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 18, 2009 52 $66,586   4 $16,647   $66,586 1
Sep 25, 2009 33 $335,103 +403% 4 $83,776   $401,689 2
Oct 2, 2009 6 $5,993,502 +1,689% 962 $6,230   $6,395,191 3
Oct 9, 2009 9 $3,771,732 -37% 995 $3,791   $10,166,923 4
Oct 16, 2009 11 $2,066,979 -45% 993 $2,082   $12,233,902 5
Oct 23, 2009 17 $1,057,017 -49% 636 $1,662   $13,290,919 6
Oct 30, 2009 18 $571,201 -46% 492 $1,161   $13,862,120 7
Nov 6, 2009 26 $253,369 -56% 217 $1,168   $14,115,489 8
Nov 13, 2009 33 $117,167 -54% 129 $908   $14,232,656 9
Nov 20, 2009 52 $55,321 -53% 52 $1,064   $14,287,977 10
Nov 27, 2009 57 $33,058 -40% 38 $870   $14,321,035 11
Dec 4, 2009 51 $33,031 n/c 108 $306   $14,354,066 12
Dec 11, 2009 70 $9,331 -72% 35 $267   $14,363,397 13

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Mar 14, 20101666,383 66,383$1,194,230$1,194,2301

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Michael Moore    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Michael Moore    Director
Michael Moore    Screenwriter
Bob Weinstein    Executive Producer
Harvey Weinstein    Executive Producer

DVD Sales: New Releases are Precious

April 1st, 2010

Not only did eight new releases reach the top 30 on this March 14's sales chart, but they were very top-heavy on the chart, taking the top three spots and six of the top seven. The new number one DVD was Precious with 726,000 units sold and $12.34 million in consumer spending at retail during its first week of release. More...

Contest: Breaking the Bank

March 19th, 2010

This week's contest is brought to you by the Smithsonian Channel, which airs Footprints on the Water: The Nan Hauser Story on Saturday at 8pm.

After a month of box office records, How to Train Your Dragon looks to end March on a high note. More importantly, it is the target film in this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for How to Train Your Dragon. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Smithsonian Networks prize pack that includes a Smithsonian t-shirt, a tote bag, and two DVDs: The Big Blue and Stories from the Vaults: Season 1. Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win a Capitalism: A Love Story prize pack that includes the film on Blu-ray and a mini-poster signed by Michael Moore. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 9th, 2010

March 9th, 2010

We have a pair of Awards Season players coming out this week. I was supposed to review both Precious and Up in the Air, but they ran out of screeners for the latter. Because of that, it is hard for me to say which one is more deserving of the Pick of the Week honors, so I'm going to award that title to both of them. That said, while the DVD and the Blu-ray for Precious are worth picking up, the Up in the Air Blu-ray is too expensive compared to the DVD. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Capitalism: A Love Story

March 6th, 2010

The latest documentary from Michael Moore is the ironically-named Capitalism: A Love Story. It's rare for a documentary to crack $10 million at the box office, but Michael Moore has done so four times in a row now. After tackling the gun culture, the Bush presidency, and the healthcare system, he goes after capitalism itself. More...

Awards Season: WGA Nominations are Written in Stone

January 12th, 2010

The WGA announced their nominations this week, which include eleven awards, three of which are for theatrical releases. More...

Things are Not Normal on the Per Theater Chart

October 20th, 2009

Paranormal Activity remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $25,711. The film finally saw its per theater average drop this past weekend, but it should still have no trouble expanding. Second place went to The Maid, which earned $17,036 in one theater. An Education remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,882, while A Serious Man took in more than $800,000 in 82 theaters for an average of $10,275. More...

Massive Activity on the Per Theater Chart

October 13th, 2009

No less than six films broke the $10,000 per theater average barrier over the weekend. Paranormal Activity topped the per theater chart with its record-breaking weekend, earning an average of $49,379 in 160 theaters. An Education was relatively close behind with an average of $39,754 in 4 theaters, which is a spectacular result at any time. A Serious Man remained strong with an average of $21,872, which is enough to suggest further significant expansion over the coming weeks. The number one film at the box office, Couples Retreat, was next with an average of $11,429. Yes Men Fix the World and Bronson had nearly identical averages at $10,956 vs. $10,940. More...

Weekend Box Office Far From Normal

October 12th, 2009

There was only one new release coming out this weekend, but it topped expectations, and there was a surprise film in the top five, and both these events helped the market as a whole earn $110 million over the weekend. This was 2.9% higher than last weekend and 7.7% higher than the same weekend last year. Year to date, 2009 has now brought in $8.10 billion so far, which is 7.5% higher than the same pace last year. More...

Weekend Estimates: Couples Retreat, Paranormal Activity Star

October 11th, 2009

The Columbus Day holiday weekend produced two big winners, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. At the top of the chart, Couples Retreat exceeded expectations with $35.3 million. A per theater average of nearly $12,000 for the poorly-reviewed comedy is a testament to Universal's marketing campaign and the box office power of its ensemble cast. A great marketing campaign from Paramount can also be attributed to the success of the weekend's other big success: Paranormal Activity, which jumped into the top 5 with an estimated $7.066 million in just 159 theaters. That's the smallest number of theaters for a movie to hit the top five ever, beating the performance of Platoon, which hit 4th place the weekend of January 16, 1987 playing in 174 theaters. More...

Serious Money on the Per Theater Chart

October 6th, 2009

A Serious Man showed the competition who was serious by earning first place on the per theater chart earning an average of $41,890 in six theaters. Paranormal Activity climbed into the $10,000 club with a sophomore average of $16,129 and now there's a push to get it into 1000 theaters nationwide. More Than a Game earned an average of more than $10,000, $13,067 to be precise, placing third in the process. Coco Before Chanel repeated in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,878, but it will need some strong word-of-mouth if it wants to stay they one more week. More...

Zombies Land on Top

October 5th, 2009

October started on a mixed note. While it was better than expected at the top, overall the box office was a little weak pulling in a total of $107 million. Granted, this was 10.7% higher than last week, this was 5.9% lower than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date 2009 has now earned $7.96 million, which is still 7.5% higher than last year's pace. More...

Scary Amounts of Competition

October 1st, 2009

There should be six new films in the top ten this weekend, or rather three new films, two re-releases, and one film expanding into the top ten. However, while there is a lot of activity, only one of these films is opening in more than 3,000 theaters while the others are opening in less than 2,000. Because of this, there's not much doubt about which film will top the chart, but there is a question of by how much. There is also a question of when the overall box office will be able to keep up with last year. More...

2009 Preview: October

October 1st, 2009

September ended with a thud, but at least there's good news. September has finally ended. Last month more movies missed expectations that topped them, which has put a cooling effect on the overall box office and that could hurt the business going into this month. October should still be stronger than last month, and since October of last year wasn't particularly great, 2009 should at least maintain its lead over 2008 going into the holiday season, even if it isn't as strong every single week. More...

Capitalism is a Moneymaker on the Per Theater Chart

September 29th, 2009

Capitalism - A Love Story lead the way on the per theater chart with an average of $57,991 in four theaters over the weekend, while it made nearly $300,000 in just five days. Coco Before Chanel was well back, but it still made an impressive average of $35,427 in five theaters. For both films, this is a good portent for its potential to expand. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men was the only other film in the $10,000 club after it made $18,510 in its lone theater. More...

Weekend Estimates: Moviegoers Enjoy Big Second Helping of Meatballs

September 27th, 2009

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs enjoyed the best second weekend hold of the year for a major release to win the weekend at the box office. The 3D family movie earned $24.6 million, by Sony's estimate, which is down just 19% from its opening. The studio will be hoping that the great word-of-mouth will keep the movie going even with the arrival of the Toy Story 3D Double Feature next weekend. More...

Countdown to Limited Releases

September 25th, 2009

As September ends, we move closer to the start of Awards Season and there are a number of films that look on paper to be Awards Season contenders. There are also a lot of films that are earning terrible reviews and while likely disappear from theaters in short order. Amazingly, the widest release of the week appears to be a Canadian film, Trailer Park Boys - Countdown to Liquor Day. More...

2009 Preview: September

September 1st, 2009

Summer ended on a strong note with three films from August that have the potential to cross $100 million at the box office. But I don't think there's a single film coming out this month that has the potential to do the same. Then again, we're not concerned with keeping up with August, we are concerned with keeping up with September last year, and that will be an easier task most weeks. More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece “Roger & Me,” Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” comes home to the issue he’s been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans. But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene is far wider than Flint, Michigan.

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$231,964 (1.6% of total gross)
Legs:3.23 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:75.1% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$20,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.0 times production budget)
Theater counts:4 opening theaters/995 max. theaters, 4.7 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $20,644,983

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: September 23rd, 2009 (Limited) by Overture Films
October 2nd, 2009 (Expands Wide) by Overture Films
Video Release: March 9th, 2010 by Starz / Anchor Bay
MPAA Rating: R For some language
(Rating bulletin 2087 (Cert #45626), 9/16/2009)
Running Time: 127 minutes
Comparisons: vs. A Place at the Table
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Political Documentary, Agitprop, Directing Yourself, Political, Voiceover/Narration
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English, Russian, Spanish

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Biggest 3rd Weekend Limited Release 51 $2,630,292 Oct 9, 2009 19
Biggest 2nd Weekend Limited Release 10 $4,447,378 Oct 2, 2009 12
Top 2009 Theater Average 9 $57,991 Sep 25, 2009 5

Leading Cast

Michael Moore    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Michael Moore    Director
Michael Moore    Screenwriter
Bob Weinstein    Executive Producer
Harvey Weinstein    Executive Producer

DVD Sales: New Releases are Precious

April 1st, 2010

Not only did eight new releases reach the top 30 on this March 14's sales chart, but they were very top-heavy on the chart, taking the top three spots and six of the top seven. The new number one DVD was Precious with 726,000 units sold and $12.34 million in consumer spending at retail during its first week of release. More...

Contest: Breaking the Bank

March 19th, 2010

This week's contest is brought to you by the Smithsonian Channel, which airs Footprints on the Water: The Nan Hauser Story on Saturday at 8pm.

After a month of box office records, How to Train Your Dragon looks to end March on a high note. More importantly, it is the target film in this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for How to Train Your Dragon. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a Smithsonian Networks prize pack that includes a Smithsonian t-shirt, a tote bag, and two DVDs: The Big Blue and Stories from the Vaults: Season 1. Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win a Capitalism: A Love Story prize pack that includes the film on Blu-ray and a mini-poster signed by Michael Moore. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 9th, 2010

March 9th, 2010

We have a pair of Awards Season players coming out this week. I was supposed to review both Precious and Up in the Air, but they ran out of screeners for the latter. Because of that, it is hard for me to say which one is more deserving of the Pick of the Week honors, so I'm going to award that title to both of them. That said, while the DVD and the Blu-ray for Precious are worth picking up, the Up in the Air Blu-ray is too expensive compared to the DVD. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Capitalism: A Love Story

March 6th, 2010

The latest documentary from Michael Moore is the ironically-named Capitalism: A Love Story. It's rare for a documentary to crack $10 million at the box office, but Michael Moore has done so four times in a row now. After tackling the gun culture, the Bush presidency, and the healthcare system, he goes after capitalism itself. More...

Awards Season: WGA Nominations are Written in Stone

January 12th, 2010

The WGA announced their nominations this week, which include eleven awards, three of which are for theatrical releases. More...

Things are Not Normal on the Per Theater Chart

October 20th, 2009

Paranormal Activity remained on top of the per theater chart with an average of $25,711. The film finally saw its per theater average drop this past weekend, but it should still have no trouble expanding. Second place went to The Maid, which earned $17,036 in one theater. An Education remained in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,882, while A Serious Man took in more than $800,000 in 82 theaters for an average of $10,275. More...

Massive Activity on the Per Theater Chart

October 13th, 2009

No less than six films broke the $10,000 per theater average barrier over the weekend. Paranormal Activity topped the per theater chart with its record-breaking weekend, earning an average of $49,379 in 160 theaters. An Education was relatively close behind with an average of $39,754 in 4 theaters, which is a spectacular result at any time. A Serious Man remained strong with an average of $21,872, which is enough to suggest further significant expansion over the coming weeks. The number one film at the box office, Couples Retreat, was next with an average of $11,429. Yes Men Fix the World and Bronson had nearly identical averages at $10,956 vs. $10,940. More...

Weekend Box Office Far From Normal

October 12th, 2009

There was only one new release coming out this weekend, but it topped expectations, and there was a surprise film in the top five, and both these events helped the market as a whole earn $110 million over the weekend. This was 2.9% higher than last weekend and 7.7% higher than the same weekend last year. Year to date, 2009 has now brought in $8.10 billion so far, which is 7.5% higher than the same pace last year. More...

Weekend Estimates: Couples Retreat, Paranormal Activity Star

October 11th, 2009

The Columbus Day holiday weekend produced two big winners, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. At the top of the chart, Couples Retreat exceeded expectations with $35.3 million. A per theater average of nearly $12,000 for the poorly-reviewed comedy is a testament to Universal's marketing campaign and the box office power of its ensemble cast. A great marketing campaign from Paramount can also be attributed to the success of the weekend's other big success: Paranormal Activity, which jumped into the top 5 with an estimated $7.066 million in just 159 theaters. That's the smallest number of theaters for a movie to hit the top five ever, beating the performance of Platoon, which hit 4th place the weekend of January 16, 1987 playing in 174 theaters. More...

Serious Money on the Per Theater Chart

October 6th, 2009

A Serious Man showed the competition who was serious by earning first place on the per theater chart earning an average of $41,890 in six theaters. Paranormal Activity climbed into the $10,000 club with a sophomore average of $16,129 and now there's a push to get it into 1000 theaters nationwide. More Than a Game earned an average of more than $10,000, $13,067 to be precise, placing third in the process. Coco Before Chanel repeated in the $10,000 club with an average of $12,878, but it will need some strong word-of-mouth if it wants to stay they one more week. More...

Zombies Land on Top

October 5th, 2009

October started on a mixed note. While it was better than expected at the top, overall the box office was a little weak pulling in a total of $107 million. Granted, this was 10.7% higher than last week, this was 5.9% lower than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date 2009 has now earned $7.96 million, which is still 7.5% higher than last year's pace. More...

Scary Amounts of Competition

October 1st, 2009

There should be six new films in the top ten this weekend, or rather three new films, two re-releases, and one film expanding into the top ten. However, while there is a lot of activity, only one of these films is opening in more than 3,000 theaters while the others are opening in less than 2,000. Because of this, there's not much doubt about which film will top the chart, but there is a question of by how much. There is also a question of when the overall box office will be able to keep up with last year. More...

2009 Preview: October

October 1st, 2009

September ended with a thud, but at least there's good news. September has finally ended. Last month more movies missed expectations that topped them, which has put a cooling effect on the overall box office and that could hurt the business going into this month. October should still be stronger than last month, and since October of last year wasn't particularly great, 2009 should at least maintain its lead over 2008 going into the holiday season, even if it isn't as strong every single week. More...

Capitalism is a Moneymaker on the Per Theater Chart

September 29th, 2009

Capitalism - A Love Story lead the way on the per theater chart with an average of $57,991 in four theaters over the weekend, while it made nearly $300,000 in just five days. Coco Before Chanel was well back, but it still made an impressive average of $35,427 in five theaters. For both films, this is a good portent for its potential to expand. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men was the only other film in the $10,000 club after it made $18,510 in its lone theater. More...

Weekend Estimates: Moviegoers Enjoy Big Second Helping of Meatballs

September 27th, 2009

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs enjoyed the best second weekend hold of the year for a major release to win the weekend at the box office. The 3D family movie earned $24.6 million, by Sony's estimate, which is down just 19% from its opening. The studio will be hoping that the great word-of-mouth will keep the movie going even with the arrival of the Toy Story 3D Double Feature next weekend. More...

Countdown to Limited Releases

September 25th, 2009

As September ends, we move closer to the start of Awards Season and there are a number of films that look on paper to be Awards Season contenders. There are also a lot of films that are earning terrible reviews and while likely disappear from theaters in short order. Amazingly, the widest release of the week appears to be a Canadian film, Trailer Park Boys - Countdown to Liquor Day. More...

2009 Preview: September

September 1st, 2009

Summer ended on a strong note with three films from August that have the potential to cross $100 million at the box office. But I don't think there's a single film coming out this month that has the potential to do the same. Then again, we're not concerned with keeping up with August, we are concerned with keeping up with September last year, and that will be an easier task most weeks. More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 25, 2009 32 $231,964   4 $57,991   $298,550 1
Oct 2, 2009 8 $4,447,378 +1,817% 962 $4,623   $4,849,067 2
Oct 9, 2009 9 $2,630,292 -41% 995 $2,644   $9,025,483 3
Oct 16, 2009 12 $1,455,510 -45% 993 $1,466   $11,622,433 4
Oct 23, 2009 16 $726,453 -50% 636 $1,142   $12,960,355 5
Oct 30, 2009 19 $373,992 -49% 492 $760   $13,664,911 6
Nov 6, 2009 26 $162,478 -57% 217 $749   $14,024,598 7
Nov 13, 2009 34 $79,205 -51% 129 $614   $14,194,694 8
Nov 20, 2009 47 $33,675 -57% 52 $648   $14,266,331 9
Nov 27, 2009 57 $24,881 -26% 38 $655   $14,312,858 10
Dec 4, 2009 52 $21,757 -13% 108 $201   $14,342,792 11
Dec 11, 2009 67 $5,727 -74% 35 $164   $14,359,793 12

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Sep 23, 2009 - $37,832     4 $9,458   $37,832 1
Sep 24, 2009 - $28,754 -24%   4 $7,189   $66,586 2
Sep 25, 2009 - $61,535 +114%   4 $15,384   $128,121 3
Sep 26, 2009 - $94,609 +54%   4 $23,652   $222,730 4
Sep 27, 2009 - $75,820 -20%   4 $18,955   $298,550 5
Sep 28, 2009 - $30,399 -60%   4 $7,600   $328,949 6
Sep 29, 2009 - $21,351 -30%   4 $5,338   $350,300 7
Sep 30, 2009 - $21,734 +2% -43% 4 $5,434   $372,034 8
Oct 1, 2009 - $29,655 +36% +3% 4 $7,414   $401,689 9
Oct 2, 2009 7 $1,488,401 +4,919% +2,319% 962 $1,547   $1,890,090 10
Oct 3, 2009 8 $1,851,106 +24% +1,857% 962 $1,924   $3,741,196 11
Oct 4, 2009 6 $1,107,871 -40% +1,361% 962 $1,152   $4,849,067 12
Oct 5, 2009 6 $372,713 -66% +1,126% 962 $387   $5,221,780 13
Oct 6, 2009 6 $426,272 +14% +1,896% 962 $443   $5,648,052 14
Oct 7, 2009 6 $383,538 -10% +1,665% 962 $399   $6,031,590 15
Oct 8, 2009 6 $363,601 -5% +1,126% 962 $378   $6,395,191 16
Oct 9, 2009 9 $766,132 +111% -49% 995 $770   $7,161,323 17
Oct 10, 2009 9 $1,122,988 +47% -39% 995 $1,129   $8,284,311 18
Oct 11, 2009 9 $741,172 -34% -33% 995 $745   $9,025,483 19
Oct 12, 2009 8 $397,043 -46% +7% 995 $399   $9,422,526 20
Oct 13, 2009 8 $266,935 -33% -37% 995 $268   $9,689,461 21
Oct 14, 2009 8 $244,697 -8% -36% 995 $246   $9,934,158 22
Oct 15, 2009 8 $232,765 -5% -36% 995 $234   $10,166,923 23
Oct 16, 2009 12 $404,876 +74% -47% 993 $408   $10,571,799 24
Oct 17, 2009 12 $645,832 +60% -42% 993 $650   $11,217,631 25
Oct 18, 2009 11 $404,802 -37% -45% 993 $408   $11,622,433 26
Oct 19, 2009 10 $140,020 -65% -65% 993 $141   $11,762,453 27
Oct 20, 2009 8 $163,621 +17% -39% 993 $165   $11,926,074 28
Oct 21, 2009 9 $155,971 -5% -36% 993 $157   $12,082,045 29
Oct 22, 2009 11 $151,857 -3% -35% 993 $153   $12,233,902 30
Oct 23, 2009 - $213,796 +41% -47% 636 $336   $12,447,698 31
Oct 24, 2009 - $309,974 +45% -52% 636 $487   $12,757,672 32
Oct 25, 2009 - $202,683 -35% -50% 636 $319   $12,960,355 33
Oct 26, 2009 - $76,421 -62% -45% 636 $120   $13,036,776 34
Oct 27, 2009 - $88,897 +16% -46% 636 $140   $13,125,673 35
Oct 28, 2009 - $82,886 -7% -47% 636 $130   $13,208,559 36
Oct 29, 2009 - $82,360 -1% -46% 636 $129   $13,290,919 37
Oct 30, 2009 - $104,293 +27% -51% 492 $212   $13,395,212 38
Oct 31, 2009 - $149,140 +43% -52% 492 $303   $13,544,352 39
Nov 1, 2009 - $120,559 -19% -41% 492 $245   $13,664,911 40
Nov 2, 2009 - $43,038 -64% -44% 492 $87   $13,707,949 41
Nov 3, 2009 - $53,173 +24% -40% 492 $108   $13,761,122 42
Nov 4, 2009 - $46,546 -12% -44% 492 $95   $13,807,668 43
Nov 5, 2009 - $54,452 +17% -34% 492 $111   $13,862,120 44
Nov 6, 2009 - $42,552 -22% -59% 217 $196   $13,904,672 45
Nov 7, 2009 - $75,450 +77% -49% 217 $348   $13,980,122 46
Nov 8, 2009 - $44,476 -41% -63% 217 $205   $14,024,598 47
Nov 9, 2009 - $17,412 -61% -60% 217 $80   $14,042,010 48
Nov 10, 2009 - $21,426 +23% -60% 217 $99   $14,063,436 49
Nov 11, 2009 - $30,398 +42% -35% 217 $140   $14,093,834 50
Nov 12, 2009 - $21,655 -29% -60% 217 $100   $14,115,489 51
Nov 13, 2009 - $20,574 -5% -52% 129 $159   $14,136,063 52
Nov 14, 2009 - $37,506 +82% -50% 129 $291   $14,173,569 53
Nov 15, 2009 - $21,125 -44% -53% 129 $164   $14,194,694 54
Nov 16, 2009 - $8,239 -61% -53% 129 $64   $14,202,933 55
Nov 17, 2009 - $9,285 +13% -57% 129 $72   $14,212,218 56
Nov 18, 2009 - $9,624 +4% -68% 129 $75   $14,221,842 57
Nov 19, 2009 - $10,814 +12% -50% 129 $84   $14,232,656 58
Nov 20, 2009 - $9,139 -15% -56% 52 $176   $14,241,795 59
Nov 21, 2009 - $14,620 +60% -61% 52 $281   $14,256,415 60
Nov 22, 2009 - $9,916 -32% -53% 52 $191   $14,266,331 61
Nov 23, 2009 - $5,058 -49% -39% 52 $97   $14,271,389 62
Nov 24, 2009 - $6,689 +32% -28% 52 $129   $14,278,078 63
Nov 25, 2009 - $4,106 -39% -57% 38 $108   $14,282,184 64
Nov 26, 2009 - $5,793 +41% -46% 38 $152   $14,287,977 65
Nov 27, 2009 - $7,815 +35% -14% 38 $206   $14,295,792 66
Nov 28, 2009 - $10,383 +33% -29% 38 $273   $14,306,175 67
Nov 29, 2009 - $6,683 -36% -33% 38 $176   $14,312,858 68
Nov 30, 2009 - $2,416 -64% -52% 38 $64   $14,315,274 69
Dec 1, 2009 - $2,079 -14% -69% 38 $55   $14,317,353 70
Dec 2, 2009 - $1,763 -15% -57% 38 $46   $14,319,116 71
Dec 3, 2009 - $1,919 +9% -67% 38 $51   $14,321,035 72
Dec 4, 2009 - $5,895 +207% -25% 108 $55   $14,326,930 73
Dec 5, 2009 - $9,185 +56% -12% 108 $85   $14,336,115 74
Dec 6, 2009 - $6,677 -27% n/c 108 $62   $14,342,792 75
Dec 7, 2009 - $2,891 -57% +20% 108 $27   $14,345,683 76
Dec 8, 2009 - $2,757 -5% +33% 108 $26   $14,348,440 77
Dec 9, 2009 - $2,676 -3% +52% 108 $25   $14,351,116 78
Dec 10, 2009 - $2,950 +10% +54% 108 $27   $14,354,066 79
Dec 11, 2009 - $1,819 -38% -69% 35 $52   $14,355,885 80
Dec 12, 2009 - $2,344 +29% -74% 35 $67   $14,358,229 81
Dec 13, 2009 - $1,564 -33% -77% 35 $45   $14,359,793 82
Dec 14, 2009 - $810 -48% -72% 35 $23   $14,360,603 83
Dec 15, 2009 - $856 +6% -69% 35 $24   $14,361,459 84
Dec 16, 2009 - $934 +9% -65% 35 $27   $14,362,393 85
Dec 17, 2009 - $1,004 +7% -66% 35 $29   $14,363,397 86

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Sep 18, 2009 52 $66,586   4 $16,647   $66,586 1
Sep 25, 2009 33 $335,103 +403% 4 $83,776   $401,689 2
Oct 2, 2009 6 $5,993,502 +1,689% 962 $6,230   $6,395,191 3
Oct 9, 2009 9 $3,771,732 -37% 995 $3,791   $10,166,923 4
Oct 16, 2009 11 $2,066,979 -45% 993 $2,082   $12,233,902 5
Oct 23, 2009 17 $1,057,017 -49% 636 $1,662   $13,290,919 6
Oct 30, 2009 18 $571,201 -46% 492 $1,161   $13,862,120 7
Nov 6, 2009 26 $253,369 -56% 217 $1,168   $14,115,489 8
Nov 13, 2009 33 $117,167 -54% 129 $908   $14,232,656 9
Nov 20, 2009 52 $55,321 -53% 52 $1,064   $14,287,977 10
Nov 27, 2009 57 $33,058 -40% 38 $870   $14,321,035 11
Dec 4, 2009 51 $33,031 n/c 108 $306   $14,354,066 12
Dec 11, 2009 70 $9,331 -72% 35 $267   $14,363,397 13

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Mar 14, 20101666,383 66,383$1,194,230$1,194,2301

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.